Kansas State @ West Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 9, 2019 ) West Virginia 69, Kansas State 71

Kansas State will try to take another step toward for its first conference title since 1977 when it visits West Virginia on Monday in a Big 12 contest. The No. 18 Wildcats had their nine-game conference winning streak snapped with a 78-64 loss to No. 22 Iowa State on Saturday, seeing their lead shrink to one-half game over No. 14 Kansas and No. 15 Texas Tech, but of bigger concern could be the health of senior forward and Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Dean Wade.

Wade, who missed six games earlier this season with a right foot injury, left Saturday's game with a similar ailment as Kansas State coach Bruce Weber told reporters: "He had some soreness in his foot all week. He didn't practice. He was in a boot. It's not the same injury as before. He tweaked it. ... We'll just have to see." The Mountaineers are coming off a 78-53 loss at Kansas on Saturday, scoring a season-low 16 points in the first half and making 3-of-23 from 3-point range for the game. “Another loss - that’s about the only thing I can take away from this,” West Virginia Bob Huggins told reporters after the Mountaineers' first game without senior forward Esa Ahmad and junior forward Wesley Harris, a pair of major contributors who were kicked off the team Monday for a "violation of athletic department policies.'' After an 0-2 start to the Big 12 season, Kansas State's run to the top of the standings began when it rallied from 21 points behind to score a 71-69 victory over West Virginia on Jan. 9.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (19-6, 9-3 Big 12): Wade (13.6 points, team-high 6.6 rebounds) missed the final nine minutes Saturday and Weber could decide to rest him this week with Oklahoma State (9-16) visiting Saturday prior to a showdown at Kansas on Feb. 25. Senior guard Barry Brown Jr. (club-best 15.7 points) scored 23 against Iowa State and is averaging 17.6 points in his last five games. Senior guard Kamau Stokes (10.2 points) and junior forward Xavier Sneed (10.0) - the Wildcats' other double-figure scorers - combined for 15 points and 3-for-16 shooting from the field Saturday.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (10-15, 2-10): Derek Culver (11.5 points, team-high 8.9 rebounds this season), who recorded 17 points and 12 rebounds against the Wildcats earlier this season, leads the Big 12 with 9.7 rebounds per conference game and paces all freshmen with 11.9 points per Big 12 contest. The 6-10 forward is averaging 12.3 rebounds over his last four games and just missed his sixth double-double in 15 games played this season with nine points against Kansas. The Mountaineers are again expected to be without junior forward Sagaba Konate (club-high 13.6 points, 8.0 rebounds), who hasn't played since Dec. 8 because of a knee injury, and junior guard Beetle Bolden (12.3 points), who missed the last five games (ankle).

TIP-INS

1. West Virginia leads the Big 12 in rebounding at 39.1 per game - 28th nationally entering Sunday - while the Wildcats are last in the conference at 33.8.

2. The Mountaineers are last in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting (30.8 percent) and in 3-point defense (35.2).

3. West Virginia has won nine of the last 11 meetings, including five straight in Morgantown, and leads the series 10-6.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 71, Kansas State 65